Jean-Michel Blanquer’s parachute did not open. Emmanuel Macron’s former Minister of National Education, who was trying his luck in the 4th constituency of Loiret, was eliminated in the first round of the legislative elections.
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Jean-Michel Blanquer came in third place this Sunday with 18.89% of the vote. He comes just behind Bruno Nottin, candidate of the New Popular Ecological and Social Union (19.43%) and Thomas Ménagé, of the National Rally, who comes first with 31.45%.
Only 189 votes separate the former minister from the Nupes candidate, depriving him of accession to the second round. The fourth constituency of Loiret, centered on Gâtinais, was left vacant by outgoing deputy Jean-Pierre Door (LR). Aged 80, the latter had decided not to run after four consecutive terms. Jean-Michel Blanquer, “parachuted”, did not reverse the trend in Montargis, in a constituency which had voted overwhelmingly in favor of Marine Le Pen during the two rounds of the presidential election.
Attacked on his record at National Education
The former minister had a rowdy campaign, where he was constantly attacked on his record at National Education, and even sprayed with whipped cream on a market by two angry teachers. In particular, he focused his campaign on his Parisian connections, highlighting his desire to attract a higher education establishment to Montargis. The argument clearly did not bear in a largely peri-urban constituency, at the forefront of the “yellow vests” movement.
“There is a desire to destroy and there is a danger from the far left as there is a danger from the far right,” Jean-Michel Blanquer told the press from Montargis, the sub-prefecture of Loiret where he was seeking a deputy mandate. He called for a “democratic rebound which supposes having better elected government parties, with more votes in the second round than in the first round”.
Another candidate remained at the quay. LR Ariel Lévy also failed to convince the Montargois. The announced successor to Jean-Pierre Door collected only 6.69% of the vote, in line with the first round of the presidential election. The fourth constituency had indeed placed Valérie Pécresse only in fifth position, with 5.2% of the vote.